


A Thin Line

by angelskuuipo



Category: Angel: the Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Early Work, GFY, Gift Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-13
Updated: 2014-06-13
Packaged: 2018-02-04 11:59:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1778239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelskuuipo/pseuds/angelskuuipo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It’s a cliché, but a true one: There’s a thin line between love and hate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Thin Line

**Author's Note:**

  * For [claudia6913](https://archiveofourown.org/users/claudia6913/gifts).



> Written for the splendid [](http://claudia6913.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://claudia6913.livejournal.com/)**claudia6913**. Happy Birthday, honey! I wish you much peace and happiness now and in the coming year. I hope you enjoy this.
> 
> Originally posted 3-22-09.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Angel’s head snapped back from the force of the blow. He shook his head to clear it then looked at his attacker. “Feel better?” He asked as he wiped away the blood from his split lip and absently licked it off his thumb.

Lindsey snarled at him. “No, not by a long shot.”

Angel studied his opponent for a second and made a decision. With a nod, he slipped off his leather coat and threw it over a chair. “Let’s go,” he said, barely ducking a swing as Lindsey came at him.

They destroyed the office in their fight. Angel thought Gunn might have poked his head in shortly after they started, but he was too busy at the time to know for sure. He did know that no one tried to interfere. It was just as well. He didn’t want anyone else involved. He could sense that Lindsey was tiring and was grateful. All Angel had wanted when he walked in was to go to bed. That group of Fren’a’aar demons they’d met on patrol had taken a lot out of him.

He didn’t even know what had set Lindsey off this time. It seemed like the former lawyer was always angry about something these days and Angel would rather take the brunt of Lindsey’s temper than let him unleash on the rest of the team, although Faith would probably be happy to oblige once in a while.

The cracking of one of his ribs brought Angel’s attention back to the fight with a grunt. He noticed a knife in Lindsey’s hand and decided he’d had enough. He’d play punching bag if necessary, because if he were honest with himself he rather liked scrapping with Lindsey, but he was not going to allow the little shit to cut him.

Angel caught Lindsey’s knife hand when he charged and twisted it behind his back, exerting enough pressure to make Lindsey drop it. He caught Lindsey’s other wrist and twisted it behind him as well. Angel backed him up to the overturned desk and pinned him to front panel. Moving his grip to hold both of his wrists with one hand over Lindsey’s head, Angel used his free hand to hold Lindsey’s jaw and force him to meet his gaze.

“Care to tell me what brought this on, Lindsey?” Angel asked calmly. He felt Lindsey move to kick out at him and straddled his legs, preventing it and effectively rendering him immobile. “Aht, aht, ah, the fight’s over. It’s time to talk. What set you off this time?”

Lindsey was breathing so hard his nostrils flared with every inhalation. It took him a couple of minutes before he could speak, and when he finally did he said the last thing Angel expected him to. “You almost died tonight.”

Angel loosened his grip on Lindsey’s face and leaned back a little bit, inadvertently pressing their groins closer together. “Huh?”

Lindsey turned his head away and stared at the wall. He said, “That demon almost had you. If Fred hadn’t gotten it with her crossbow, you would have been torn apart.”

Angel shook his head, not sure what was going on. “It pissed you off that it didn’t happen, so you thought you’d finish the job here?”

Lindsey turned his head back and glared fiercely at him. “No, you moron, it pissed me off that you came that close to dying. After all this time, I still don’t think you understand just how vital it is that you survive.”

Angel frowned. “You don’t like me, Lindsey,” he pointed out.

Lindsey huffed out a mirthless laugh. “You don’t like me either, Angel. That doesn’t mean I want to see you dust. I…I wouldn’t be able to handle it. You need to be more careful.”

Angel licked his lips, finally becoming aware of the position they were in. He was practically draped over Lindsey’s body and, at some point, he’d let go of Lindsey’s wrists. The other man’s hands were lightly resting on Angel’s hips. Angel inhaled, scenting the air, and his senses exploded at the input. Lindsey smelled of blood and sweat, fear and anger, but underneath it all was something richer, spicier, and Angel wanted to know it better.

He leaned down and lightly licked at Lindsey’s chin, cleaning off the blood smeared there. Lindsey jerked his head back. “The hell, Angel?”

“Shh,” Angel murmured. He waited patiently, a little nervously, and was pleased when Lindsey relaxed. He smiled slightly and returned to his exploration.

“This still doesn’t mean I like you,” Lindsey muttered as he unbuttoned Angel’s shirt.

Angel chuckled softly as he nipped at a spot behind Lindsey’s ear. “There’s a thin line, Lindsey. Besides, this is a much better way to channel all that anger than beating the hell out of each other, don’t you agree?”

Lindsey’s answer was a moan.

Soon, neither man was aware of anything but the other. They especially didn’t notice their teammates sneaking away from the broken office door.

Cordelia pulled a notebook from her desk drawer and flipped to a certain page with a Cheshire Cat grin. Fred bounced a little in place as she waited. Gunn and Wesley tried to look uninterested, but the eager looks on their faces gave them away. Faith and Lorne rolled their eyes from where they had gone back to cleaning weapons, but it was Faith who finally broke the silence.

“So, who won the pool?”

-30-


End file.
